Police: Central Point man burned woman’s face

Wednesday

Mar 14, 2018 at 12:36 PMMar 15, 2018 at 6:38 AM

Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous

A Central Point man is being held in the Jackson County Jail on $1 million bail after police say he burned a woman’s face with a butane torch, sexually assaulted her and attempted to strangle her with a drawstring on his backpack.

Jamal William Claybourne, 26, of the 400 block of West Pine Street, faces charges of second-degree assault, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree kidnapping, coercion, first-degree attempted unlawful sexual penetration, fourth-degree assault, two counts of menacing and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. The weapons are listed as the butane torch and the drawstring, according to an indictment.

Claybourne was arrested Monday for the alleged attack. His original bail of $487,500 was increased to $1 million Tuesday by a Jackson County Circuit Court judge.

In the early morning hours of March 9, Claybourne and the woman were sitting in her vehicle near Agate Lake discussing relationship issues, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.

During an argument, Claybourne used a butane torch to burn the woman’s face, leaving an injury that likely will result in a scar on her face for life, the affidavit alleged.

The woman attempted to leave multiple times but Claybourne allegedly prevented her from going by taking her cellphone and slapping the gear shift of her vehicle into the park position while she was driving, the affidavit said.

The woman reported Claybourne was smoking methamphetamine before they met up and during the incident, the affidavit said.

After preventing the woman from leaving, Claybourne pinned her down in the driver’s seat with one hand on her chest and sexually assaulted her with the other hand, the affidavit alleged.

The woman later underwent a sexual assault forensic exam which documented physical injury, the affidavit said.

Claybourne then allegedly used the drawstring on his backpack in an attempt to strangle the woman three times. She blocked the attempt by putting her arms up, the affidavit said.

The sheriff’s office located Claybourne Monday at his place of work, Del Taco in Medford. Claybourne was in possession of a drawstring backpack when he was arrested, the affidavit said.

The officer later allegedly found the butane torch used to burn the woman, the affidavit said.

On Tuesday, Jackson County Deputy District Attorney David Orr filed a notice that he intends to seek a longer sentence based on state criteria that can trigger more severe punishments.

Orr is alleging Claybourne displayed deliberate cruelty, committed the offense while on parole or probation and has a disregard for laws and an inability to be deterred from committing new criminal activity.

In 2016, Claybourne was arrested for allegedly punching a different woman in the face while she was driving, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by Oregon State Police.

He also kicked her windshield and threw an ornament against the glass, causing cracks. He pulled the emergency brake to stop the vehicle, the affidavit said.

Three children were in the vehicle when the assault took place, the affidavit said.

Claybourne told an investigator the woman had a bruise on her face because he blocked her when she tried to push him inside the vehicle. He admitted to breaking the windshield and pulling the emergency brake, the affidavit said.

He was sentenced to probation on the endangerment charge and received a deferred sentence on the assault charge, according to court records.

However, Deputy District Attorney Benjamin Lull filed a motion to revoke the deferred sentence agreement in February on the grounds that Claybourne failed to complete a domestic violence education program.